Personalized timeline presentation

ABSTRACT

Described herein are techniques and mechanisms for personalized timeline presentation. Client devices may be presented with video content in association with a content management account. A video content item may be associated with more than one pause point, with each pause point indicating a time at which playback of the video content item was paused. Different profiles associated with the content management account may be associated with different pause points for the same video content item. Playback of the video content item may be resumed at one of the pause points when one of the profiles is selected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/622,275, titled “PERSONALIZED TIMELINEPRESENTATION”, filed Jun. 14, 2017 by Kay Johansson and Cedric Fernandeswhich is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/306,221, titled “PERSONALIZED TIMELINEPRESENTATION”, filed Jun. 16, 2014 by Kay Johansson and CedricFernandes, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,715,334, issued on Jul. 25, 2017, whichis a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/591,493, titled “PERSONALIZED TIMELINE PRESENTATION”, filed Aug.22, 2012 by Kay Johansson and Cedric Fernandes, now U.S. Pat. No.8,793,582, issued on Jul. 29, 2014, both of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the pausing and resuming of contentplayback.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

When content such as a movie or television show are presented on adevice, a user may indicate a request to pause playback of the content.Then, the timing at which playback of the content is paused may becaptured and stored. For instance, the user may be viewing streamingcontent via the Internet, and the playback of the content may beassociated with a user account at a content provider. In this case, thetiming at which playback of the content is paused may be stored on aserver configured to provide content management and/or playbackservices. Then, when the user resumes playback of the content later,playback may be resumed at the point in time at which playback waspreviously paused.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate particular embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a method for presenting content withdifferential timing.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a system that can be used with varioustechniques and mechanisms of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a method for capturing video contentpause information.

FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a method for resuming video contentplayback.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a media delivery system.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate examples of user interfaces that can be usedwith various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates one example of a system.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to some specific examples of theinvention including the best modes contemplated by the inventors forcarrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments areillustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention isdescribed in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will beunderstood that it is not intended to limit the invention to thedescribed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For example, the techniques of the present invention will be describedin the context of fragments, particular servers and encoding mechanisms.However, it should be noted that the techniques of the present inventionapply to a wide variety of different fragments, segments, servers andencoding mechanisms. In the following description, numerous specificdetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present invention. Particular example embodiments of the presentinvention may be implemented without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process operations have not beendescribed in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the presentinvention.

Various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention willsometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it shouldbe noted that some embodiments include multiple iterations of atechnique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless notedotherwise. For example, a system uses a processor in a variety ofcontexts. However, it will be appreciated that a system can use multipleprocessors while remaining within the scope of the present inventionunless otherwise noted. Furthermore, the techniques and mechanisms ofthe present invention will sometimes describe a connection between twoentities. It should be noted that a connection between two entities doesnot necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection, as a variety ofother entities may reside between the two entities. For example, aprocessor may be connected to memory, but it will be appreciated that avariety of bridges and controllers may reside between the processor andmemory. Consequently, a connection does not necessarily mean a direct,unimpeded connection unless otherwise noted.

Overview

A content management account may provide a unified way of viewingcontent on a variety of devices and from a variety of sources. In manycases, a content management account may be shared by several users suchas members of the same family. These users may sometimes view the samecontent, either alone or in groups.

In some instances, a user viewing content may wish to pause the contentand resume playback later. Accordingly, the system may identify a timeat which content playback is paused so that content playback may laterbe resumed at the same time. However, when several users share the sameaccount, different users may wish to pause and resume playback atdifferent points for the same content item.

According to various embodiments, more than one pause point may becreated for a content item. Each pause point may be linked with adifferent profile associated with the content management account. Whenplayback of the content item is initiated, a user interface may providerviewers with the opportunity to select a particular pause point forresuming playback.

Example Embodiments

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a method 100 for presenting contentwith differential timing. According to various embodiments, the method100 may be used to present content at a playback device, capturinginformation regarding one or more pause events during content playback,and later resuming playback when one or more of the pause events areselected. The method 100 may be performed at a content playback device,at a server potentially in communication with many content playbackdevices, or at some combination thereof.

At 102, content is presented at a playback device. According to variousembodiments, the content may be video content, audio content, and/or anyother type of content. For instance, the content may be a movie, atelevision program, a music album, or an audiobook.

According to various embodiments, the content may be received fromvarious sources. For example, the content may be streamed or downloadedvia a network such as the Internet from a content provider. As anotherexample, the content may be received from a local or network storagelocation. As yet another example, the content may be received via acable or satellite television network connection.

At 104, pause event information for a content playback pause event iscaptured. According to various embodiments, capturing pause eventinformation may involve identifying various types of information. Thisinformation may include, but is not limited to: a time at which playbackis paused, one or more user profiles associated with the pause event,one or more group profiles associated with the pause event, and one ormore devices associated with the pause event. Techniques for capturingpause event information for a content playback pause event are discussedin additional detail with respect to FIG. 3.

According to various embodiments, information regarding more than onecontent playback pause event may be captured. For example, contentplayback may be paused for one user while a second user continueswatching. Later, the second user may also pause playback. As anotherexample, two users associated with the same content management accountmay separately view content and separately pause playback at twodifferent points in the content.

At 106, a selection of a pause event for resuming playback is received.According to various embodiments, the selection may be received from auser input device associated with the playback device. For instance, theselection may be received via a touch screen, a mouse, a keyboard, eyetracking, or any other user input technique. Examples of user interfacesthat may be used to display pause points and receive user inputselecting a pause point are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

According to various embodiments, the selection of a pause event forresuming playback may be received at various times. For example, a usermay pause playback for a brief period of time and then quickly resumeplayback. As another example, a user may pause playback and walk awayfrom the device, not returning to continue viewing the content for weeksor months.

At 108, playback of the content is resumed at the pause point associatedwith the selected pause event. According to various embodiments,resuming playback may involve loading the video into a video player froma local or network storage location, presenting streaming video ondemand received via a network, activating an audio stream, or any othercontent for presenting content. Techniques for resuming playback basedon the selection of a pause point are discussed in additional detailwith respect to FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation illustrating one example of afragment or segment system 201 associated with a content server that maybe used in a broadcast and unicast distribution network. Encoders 205receive media data from satellite, content libraries, and other contentsources and sends RTP multicast data to fragment writer 209. Theencoders 205 also send session announcement protocol (SAP) announcementsto SAP listener 221. According to various embodiments, the fragmentwriter 209 creates fragments for live streaming, and writes files todisk for recording. The fragment writer 209 receives RTP multicaststreams from the encoders 205 and parses the streams to repackage theaudio/video data as part of fragmented MPEG-4 files. When a new programstarts, the fragment writer 209 creates a new MPEG-4 file on fragmentstorage and appends fragments. In particular embodiments, the fragmentwriter 209 supports live and/or DVR configurations.

The fragment system 201 is one example of a system that may be used forviewing, pausing, and resuming content playback. According to variousembodiments, a fragment system may be used to encode content intofragments for streaming to a client device. While the content is beingpresented at the client device, playback may be paused. Later, whenplayback is resumed, the next unplayed fragment may be transmitted tothe client machine. In particular embodiments, the application servers203 and/or the HTTP proxy 213 may be used to receive, process, and/orstore pause event information for resuming playback.

The fragment server 211 provides the caching layer with fragments forclients. The design philosophy behind the client/server applicationprogramming interface (API) minimizes round trips and reduces complexityas much as possible when it comes to delivery of the media data to theclient 215. The fragment server 211 provides live streams and/or DVRconfigurations.

The fragment controller 207 is connected to application servers 203 andcontrols the fragmentation of live channel streams. The fragmentationcontroller 207 optionally integrates guide data to drive the recordingsfor a global/network DVR. In particular embodiments, the fragmentcontroller 207 embeds logic around the recording to simplify thefragment writer 209 component. According to various embodiments, thefragment controller 207 will run on the same host as the fragment writer209. In particular embodiments, the fragment controller 207 instantiatesinstances of the fragment writer 209 and manages high availability.

According to various embodiments, the client 215 uses a media componentthat requests fragmented MPEG-4 files, allows trick-play, and managesbandwidth adaptation. The client communicates with the applicationservices associated with HTTP proxy 213 to get guides and present theuser with the recorded content available.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of a method 300 for capturing videocontent pause information. According to various embodiments, the method300 may be performed at a content playback device or at a server incommunication with a content playback device. In the method 300, contentis presented on a content playback device. When a pause event isdetected, information characterizing the pause event is captured andstored so that playback may be resumed at the same time.

At 302, video content is presented on a playback device. According tovarious embodiments, the content may be presented in association with acontent management account. The content management account may beprovided by a content management provider. The content managementprovider may facilitate the organization and transmission of contentfrom a variety of sources to a variety of content playback devices. Forexample, the content management account may be used to organize live orvideo-on-demand content streamed over a network such as the Internet,content received via a cable or satellite television network. As anotherexample, the content management account may be used to transmit contentto devices such as televisions, computers, and mobile devices. As yetanother example, the content management account may be used to managethe viewing of content stored on a local storage device or a networkstorage location.

Although the content is described in FIGS. 3 and 4 as video content, insome instances other types of content may be presented. For example,audio content such as an audio book, a song, or a music album may bepresented for playback.

At 304, an account associated with the video content playback isidentified. According to various embodiments, the account may be acontent management account, as discussed herein. In some cases, a devicemay be linked with a content management account. In particularembodiments, a user may provide login information identifying a contentmanagement account.

According to various embodiments, the account may be used at least inpart for identifying a pause event. For instance, when watching atelevision show received via an on-demand network, a user may pauseplayback. Because the content playback is linked to a content managementaccount, the pause event may be recorded. Then, when playback of thetelevision show is resumed via the on-demand network or via any othercontent source, content playback may be resumed at the point at which itwas paused.

At 306, a pause event associated with the video content playback isidentified. According to various embodiments, the pause event may be anyevent that interrupts or terminates playback of the video content. Forexample, the pause event may be the detection of user input such as abutton press, mouse click, or touch screen input requesting to pause thevideo content. As another example, the pause event may be the detectionof a service interruption in a content stream received from a remoteserver when the video content is received by streaming. As yet anotherexample, the pause event may be the detection of the content playbackdevice being powered off, such as by a loss of battery power for amobile device, the activation of a power off button by the user, or someother such occurrence.

In particular embodiments, playback of the content need not actually bepaused in order for a pause event to be detected. For instance, in somesituations several users may all be viewing content playback performedon a single device, such as a television. If one of the users wishes towalk away from the television while the others wish to continue to viewthe content, then the user may provide user input for indicating a pauseevent specific to the user. For example, the user may provide user inputon the content playback device by selecting a profile associated withthe user.

According to various embodiments, a pause event associated with thevideo content playback may be detected at a device other than the one onwhich content is being presented. For instance, a group of users may beviewing content on a device such as a television while one user is usinga personal device such as a tablet computer or a mobile phone. Thepersonal device may be displaying a connected user interface that islinked to the television and the content presented on the television.The connected user interface may present information related to thecontent presented on the television. For example, the information mayinclude biographical information regarding cast or crew members, socialmedia information related to the content, or suggestions regardingrelated content. In some instances, a user may indicate a desire topause playback of content by providing user input on the personaldevice.

At 308, a pause time associated with the pause event is identified.According to various embodiments, the time may be measured relative tothe length of the content. For instance, a time of 1:15 may indicatethat the first one hour, 15 minutes of the content item has already beenpresented when playback is paused. Alternately, such a time may indicatethat there is one hour, 15 minutes remaining in the playback of thecontent item after the pause point. In particular embodiments, an actualtime associated with the pause event may also be identified. Forinstance, a system may discard pause events that occurred far in thepast and only store the most recent pause events.

At 310, a user profile associated with the pause event is determined.According to various embodiments, a user profile may be associated withany user or group of users who views content in association with theaccount identified in operation 304. The user profile may be identifiedby a name, number, avatar, icon, and/or any other identificationtechniques.

According to various embodiments, the user profile may be determinedbased on user input. For example, a user may provide user inputselecting a user profile from a list of profiles. As another example,user input may be provided via a playback device connected with thepresentation of content. For instance, a group of users may be viewingcontent on a television. At the same time, one user may be viewing aconnected user interface on a personal device such as a mobile phone.The connected user interface may display information related to thecontent presented on the television. In this case, the user of thepersonal device may indicate a desire to pause playback by providinguser input at the personal device. When the user input is received, thepause event may be captured without interrupting playback of the contenton the television.

According to various embodiments, the user profile may be determinedautomatically. For example, a pause event may be captured at a personalplayback device linked to a user account. For instance, a group of usersmay be viewing content on a television while another user views aconnected user interface on a personal device such as a mobile phone.The personal device may be linked with a user profile such that when auser of the device indicates a desire to pause playback, the pause eventis automatically associated with the user profile.

At 312, a device profile associated with the pause event is determined.According to various embodiments, determining a device profileassociated with the pause event may involve identifying a device onwhich the content is playing. For instance, a device may provide anidentifier or other information to a content management server whenplayback is initiated. In particular embodiments, determining a deviceprofile associated with the pause event may involve receiving user inputselecting a device associated with the content management accountidentified in operation 304.

At 314, the pause event information characterizing the pause event isstored. According to various embodiments, the pause event informationmay be stored on a server in communication with the playback device. Forinstance, the pause event information may be stored on a serverconfigured to provide content management services to many differentclient machines and for many different content management accounts. Inparticular embodiments, the pause event information may be stored on theplayback device itself. For instance, the playback device may not be incommunication with a remote server when the pause event is detected.

According to various embodiments, not all of the operations shown inFIG. 3 need be performed. For example, in some cases a pause event maybe associated with a user profile as discussed with respect to operation310 but not a device profile as discussed with respect to operation 312.As another example, in other cases the reverse may be true.

FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a method 400 for resuming videocontent playback. According to various embodiments, the method 400 maybe performed at a playback device or at a server in communication with aplayback device via a network. The method 400 may be used to identify apause event for initiating content playback and resuming playback at thepause point associated with the pause event.

At 402, a request to present video content on a playback device isreceived. According to various embodiments, the request may be receivedat the playback device. The request may then be transmitted to a serverconfigured to provide content management services. For example, the usermay navigate to the content via a content management interface presentedon the playback device. As another example, the user may select contentvia an electronic program guide.

At 404, an account associated with content presentation is identified.According to various embodiments, the presentation of video content maybe associated with a content management account for managing thepresentation of content received from various sources and presented onvarious devices. The content management account may be identified byreceiving login information from a user or device, by identifying acharacteristic of the device from which the request is received, or viaany other identification technique.

At 406, a determination is made as to whether the requested videocontent is associated with a pause event. According to variousembodiments, the determination may be made by analyzing pause eventinformation associated with the content management account identified atoperation 404.

In particular embodiments, the content need not be requested from thesame source as the source from which it was originally received. Forexample, a user may have initially been watching a television programreceived via a cable television network. Then, the user may have pausedplayback of the television program, and information regarding thecaptured pause event may have been stored on a server. Next, the usermay resume watching the same television program at a later date, butthis time the user may elect to view the television program via anon-demand content streaming service, such as Netflix or Amazon. However,because the pause event was associated with the content in conjunctionwith the content management account that can be used to manage contentreceived from various services, playback of the content may be resumedat the pause point.

At 408, the pause event information characterizing the pause event ispresented at the playback device. According to various embodiments,various techniques may be used to present the pause event information.For example, as is shown in FIG. 6, a playback bar control element maybe presented for displaying information related to content playback.Pause point markers designating different pause points may then beimposed on the playback bar. As another example, as is shown in FIG. 7,a list of pause points may be included in a user interface forinitiating playback of the content. As yet another example, a messagemay be displayed on a device that is associated with a particular pausepoint.

At 410, a selection of a pause event for initiating playback of therequested video content is received. According to various embodiments,the request may be received based on user input. For instance, a usermay activate a touch screen, press a button, or click a mouse to selectone of the pause events displayed at operation 408. Alternately, theselection may be made at least in part automatically. For instance, theselection may be generated automatically when a pause point is linked toa particular playback device and when a request to resume contentplayback is received from that playback device.

According to various embodiments, since several pause points may beassociated with the same content item accessed via a content managementaccount, a technique or mechanism may be used to ensure that a user doesnot inadvertently select an incorrect pause point. Inadvertentlyselecting an incorrect pause point may lead to the pause point beinglost and the user or device with whom the pause point is actuallyassociated no longer being able to resume playback from the pause point.Accordingly, a selection interface for pause points may require apersonal identification number (PIN) or other such information in orderto resume playback at a pause point. Alternately, or additionally,resuming playback from a pause point may require input provided from apersonal playback device such as a mobile phone.

At 412, playback of the requested video content is initiated. Asdiscussed herein, content may be received from a variety of sourcesand/or may be presented for playback at a variety of devices. Whencontent is received via a streaming source, video content playback maybe resumed by requesting the next unviewed segment of the video contentfor playback. When the video content is located on a local or remotestorage device, content playback may be resumed by loading the videocontent and navigating to the time associated with the selected pausepoint.

FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a fragmentation system 501 that can beused for video-on-demand (VoD) content. Fragger 503 takes an encodedvideo clip source. However, the commercial encoder does not create anoutput file with minimal object oriented framework (MOOF) headers andinstead embeds all content headers in the movie file (MOOV). The fraggerreads the input file and creates an alternate output that has beenfragmented with MOOF headers, and extended with custom headers thatoptimize the experience and act as hints to servers.

The fragment server 511 provides the caching layer with fragments forclients. The design philosophy behind the client/server API minimizesround trips and reduces complexity as much as possible when it comes todelivery of the media data to the client 515. The fragment server 511provides VoD content.

According to various embodiments, the client 515 uses a media componentthat requests fragmented MPEG-4 files, allows trick-play, and managesbandwidth adaptation. The client communicates with the applicationservices associated with HTTP proxy 513 to get guides and present theuser with the recorded content available.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate examples of user interfaces that can be usedwith various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention. In FIG.6, a video entitled “Sherlock Holmes” is playing on a tablet computer.However, according to various embodiments, video content may bepresented on various types of content playback devices. The videoplaying on the tablet computer has superimposed on it a user interfacefor controlling playback. The user interface includes control elementsfor performing tasks such as adjusting the volume, playing the video,purchasing the video, and identifying the video as a favorite.

The user interface shown in FIG. 6 also includes a playback bar controlelement for showing information such as a total time length of the videocontent and a time marker corresponding to the current playback timerelative to the total time length. In some user interfaces, a user maynavigate to different times during the playback of the video content byclicking on the playback bar and/or dragging the time marker.

The playback bar in FIG. 6 includes pause point markers for pause pointsassociated with four different user profiles. In FIG. 6, the pause pointmarkers are labeled as “User 1” through “User 4”. According to variousembodiments, however, pause point markers may be labeled with user ordevice names, avatars, icons, or other such content. Each of the pausepoint markers is linked to a respective point on the playback bar. Inthis way, a user viewing the playback bar may readily identify the timeat which playback was paused for each pause point.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, a user may select one of the four pausepoints by clicking it or by touching the display screen. According tovarious embodiments, however, various techniques may be used to select apause point. For instance, a list of pause points may be presented in apopup window, and the user may select one of the listed pause points.When a pause point is selected, playback of the video content may beresumed at the time associated with the selected pause point.

In FIG. 7, a content navigation user interface is shown. In the userinterface, the movie “Pan's Labyrinth” is selected. In the selectioninterface for the movie, a list of pause points is presented forresuming playback. As in FIG. 6, the pause points are labeled as “User1” through “User 4”. The user may select one of these pause points toresume playback at the time associated with the selected playback, asdiscussed with respect to FIG. 4.

According to various embodiments, a selection interface for pause pointsmay be toggled on or off within the user interface. For instance, insome situations a user may wish to initiate playback from the beginningof a video without viewing playback resumed from a pause point.

FIG. 8 illustrates one example of a server. According to particularembodiments, a system 800 suitable for implementing particularembodiments of the present invention includes a processor 801, a memory803, an interface 808, and a bus 815 (e.g., a PCI bus or otherinterconnection fabric) and operates as a streaming server. When actingunder the control of appropriate software or firmware, the processor 801is responsible for modifying and transmitting live media data to aclient. Various specially configured devices can also be used in placeof a processor 801 or in addition to processor 801. The interface 808 istypically configured to send and receive data packets or data segmentsover a network.

Particular examples of interfaces supported include Ethernet interfaces,frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ringinterfaces, and the like. In addition, various very high-speedinterfaces may be provided such as fast Ethernet interfaces, GigabitEthernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces,FDDI interfaces and the like. Generally, these interfaces may includeports appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In somecases, they may also include an independent processor and, in someinstances, volatile RAM. The independent processors may controlcommunications-intensive tasks such as packet switching, media controland management.

According to various embodiments, the system 800 is a server that alsoincludes a transceiver, streaming buffers, and a program guide database.The server may also be associated with subscription management, loggingand report generation, and monitoring capabilities. In particularembodiments, the server can be associated with functionality forallowing operation with mobile devices such as cellular phones operatingin a particular cellular network and providing subscription managementcapabilities. According to various embodiments, an authentication moduleverifies the identity of devices including mobile devices. A logging andreport generation module tracks mobile device requests and associatedresponses. A monitor system allows an administrator to view usagepatterns and system availability. According to various embodiments, theserver handles requests and responses for media content relatedtransactions while a separate streaming server provides the actual mediastreams.

Although a particular server is described, it should be recognized thata variety of alternative configurations are possible. For example, somemodules such as a report and logging module and a monitor may not beneeded on every server. Alternatively, the modules may be implemented onanother device connected to the server. In another example, the servermay not include an interface to an abstract buy engine and may in factinclude the abstract buy engine itself. A variety of configurations arepossible.

In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in theart appreciates that various modifications and changes can be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in theclaims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to beregarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and allsuch modifications are intended to be included within the scope ofinvention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, at aserver, a request from a client device to access a media content item inassociation with a designated one of a plurality of profiles associatedwith a content management account; retrieving, at the server,information characterizing a selected one of a plurality of pause eventseach associated with a respective one of the plurality of profiles, theselected pause event being associated with the designated profile, eachpause event identifying a respective time at which playback of the mediacontent item was paused during the streaming of the media content itemto a client device in association with the associated respectiveprofile, the respective time being measured relative to the beginning ofthe media content item; and transmitting, to the client device, aninstruction for resuming playback of the media content item at theclient device at a designated time determined based on the selectedpause event, wherein the instruction transmitted to the client deviceincludes information for displaying on a display screen at the clientdevice a timeline that includes the time associated with the selectedpause event relative to the playback length of the media content item.2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein one or more of the pluralityof profiles are each associated with a device linked with the contentmanagement account.
 3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein one ormore of the plurality of profiles are each associated with a respectiveuser of the content management account.
 4. The method recited in claim1, the method further comprising: transmitting to the client device aninstruction for presenting the selected pause event on a display screenat the client device.
 5. The method recited in claim 1, the methodfurther comprising: transmitting, to the client device, media contentdata for initiating playback of the media content item at the selectedpause event.
 6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the media contentitem is a video content item.
 7. The method recited in claim 1, whereinthe instruction transmitted to the client device also includesinformation for displaying a plurality of times on the timeline, theplurality of times including the time associated with the selected pauseevent, each of the plurality times associated with a respective one ofthe plurality of pause events.
 8. The method recited in claim 1, whereinthe content management account is authorized to view the media contentitem through an on-demand video streaming service.
 9. The method recitedin claim 1, wherein the client device is a mobile phone.
 10. A systemcomprising: a communications interface operable to receive a requestfrom a client device to access a media content item in association witha designated one of a plurality of profiles associated with a contentmanagement account; a storage device storing information characterizinga selected one of a plurality of pause events each associated with arespective one of the plurality of profiles, the selected pause eventbeing associated with the designated profile, each pause eventidentifying a respective time at which playback of the media contentitem was paused during the streaming of the media content item to aclient device in association with the associated respective profile, therespective time being measured relative to the beginning of the mediacontent item; and a processor operable to instruct the communicationsinterface to transmit, to the client device, an instruction for resumingplayback of the media content item at the client device at a designatedtime determined based on the selected pause event, wherein theinstruction transmitted to the client device includes information fordisplaying on a display screen at the client device a timeline thatincludes the time associated with the selected pause event relative tothe playback length of the media content item.
 11. The system recited inclaim 10, wherein one or more of the plurality of profiles are eachassociated with a device linked with the content management account. 12.The system recited in claim 10, wherein one or more of the plurality ofprofiles are each associated with a respective user of the contentmanagement account.
 13. The system recited in claim 10, wherein theinstruction transmitted to the client device also includes informationfor displaying a plurality of times on the timeline, the plurality oftimes including the time associated with the selected pause event, eachof the plurality times associated with a respective one of the pluralityof pause events.
 14. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the contentmanagement account is authorized to view the media content item throughan on-demand video streaming service.
 15. One or more non-transitorycomputer readable media having instructions stored thereon forperforming a method, the method comprising: receiving, at a server, arequest from a client device to access a media content item inassociation with a designated one of a plurality of profiles associatedwith a content management account; retrieving, at the server,information characterizing a selected one of a plurality of pause eventseach associated with a respective one of the plurality of profiles, theselected pause event being associated with the designated profile, eachpause event identifying a respective time at which playback of the mediacontent item was paused during the streaming of the media content itemto a client device in association with the associated respectiveprofile, the respective time being measured relative to the beginning ofthe media content item; and transmitting, to the client device, aninstruction for resuming playback of the media content item at theclient device at a designated time determined based on the selectedpause event, wherein the instruction transmitted to the client deviceincludes information for displaying on a display screen at the clientdevice a timeline that includes the time associated with the selectedpause event relative to the playback length of the media content item.16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media recited inclaim 15, wherein one or more of the plurality of profiles are eachassociated with a device linked with the content management account. 17.The one or more non-transitory computer readable media recited in claim15, wherein one or more of the plurality of profiles are each associatedwith a respective user of the content management account.
 18. The one ormore non-transitory computer readable media recited in claim 15, themethod further comprising: transmitting to the client device aninstruction for presenting the selected pause event on a display screenat the client device.